Films of ethylene polymers are widely used in lieu of paper for many purposes, including wraps for sandwiches and supplies taken on picnics and similar outings. Inevitably, certain of such films are discarded in areas of public accommodation and become objectionable litter. Such litter can accumulate in substantial volume by reason of the fact that such films are not readily degraded by natural environmental factors.
By reason of the facts discussed above, increasing attention is being given to the problem of developing ethylene polymer films which can be used for wrapping foods and the like, but which will degrade at an accelerated rate when exposed to environmental elements, including sunlight. One of the means that has been suggested to enhance the photodegradable characteristics of ethylene polymer films is to incorporate certain cobalt salts into the film. While the incorporation of cobalt salts into ethylene polymer films does accelerate the degradation of the film when it is exposed to sunlight, the improvement is not as great as would be desired.